I have been blogging here for quite a while, and some of my longer term readers may remember that I have been working on a book. The book’s working title is “I Trust When Dark My Road.” I’ve had it largely finished for almost a year now, and I have been marketing it to publishing houses.
Here’s the story. Two of the three larger Lutheran publishing houses (CPH & NPH) rejected it. In one case there was no reason given really. In the other case it was basically a marketing question. They just weren’t sure if there would be the market for a book on depression that was geared first of all toward pastors and other professional church workers. Basically they weren’t willing to risk an investment on that regard. I had great experiences with both publishing houses in the process, and hope to work with them some time in the future. But time will tell.
So that is leaving me at a crossroads. Here are my options as I see it:
- Publish it as an e-book and just allow whatever interest there is get generated online
- Publish it through a subsidized publishing house like Winepress.
- Drop it as an exercise in healing that wouldn’t be of benefit to others.
There may be other options, but those are the ones that I see right now.
What do you think? Is it worth pursuing as a self-published book? If I do that, it means raising the money to pay for the up front costs. I’m not certain how much interest there is on that, either.
Any thoughts you might have would be most welcome at this point. I am very excited about this book. It discusses many of the things we’ve talked about here for the last year and a half. Basically I would describe it as a Lutheran understanding of depression and mental illness in the light of the theology of the cross.
Thanks for your comments.
-DMR
As a pastor who struggles with severe depression I would welcome your work in any form. In fact, I look forward to reading it. I’ve been a lurker on your blog for a long while and thank God for your candour. Please get you book published, if you can. I, and my fellow brothers, need it.
Well, is your goal to make money off this? If so, then I can’t imagine either Lutheran publishing house is at all worthwhile. CPH especially has the worst rules regarding copyright issues and author incentives of any publishing house I’ve ever seen. And as you’ve said before- there’s a stigma against depression out there (especially amongst Christians) so I’m not surprised neither publisher would touch it. They’ll be forced to deal with this issue eventually…
Assuming your goal isn’t to make money- but just to make the information available, why not do an e-book? If you place it on here in .pdf form, anyone who wants to get it printed and bound can do so for a few bucks at a kinkos.
Also this leaves the option of getting it published somewhere down the road as a possibility. And depending on how attached you are to your copyright, it leaves anonymity as an option as well.
I’m wondering if some of the discussions at the Forward Motion Writers Forum
https://www.fmwriters.com might be useful? I know that we have discussed similar situations several times, and the people there ask excellent questions that have helped people focus their intent — and sometimes find unexpected ways to achieve the goal of getting good writing and information out to people.
I would like to read your book. I’d be willing to pay for it. I really don’t know what the best method of distribution would be, but I think you will find an audience, however you choose to make this available.
My pastor has had a good experience with Wine Press. Contact me if you wish and I can put you in contact with him.
I’m wondering if talking to Ted Rosenbladt (and his dad Rod) would be a good option? Ted has started the New Reformation Press website where he is publishing some of Dad Rod’s work. Rod is also one of the co-hosts on the White Horse Inn with Michael Horton, who has published numerous books.
These men may be able to help you get it published. It would be really nice if it could get a wider publication than Ted could offer you.
Michael Horton is Dutch Reformed which is about as Lutheran as you can get and still be Reformed. He teaches systematic theology at Westminster Seminary in California.
Anyways, I highly recommend these men. They are great guys and I think you’d really like Michael. May God bless you in all.
Have you looked at Lulu.com?
A friend of mine talked about her experience with them.